On December 31, 2011, at 8:45 PM, I fired up my Clear Vue dust collector. Granted, it worked. But the rather loud noise caused me to shut it down within seconds. After several successive attempts, it became very apparent the fan was flexing enough to hit the suspension nuts.

But hey, it actually worked.

So what did I do today – I fixed the problem.

But wait, here are a few pictures of what brought me to this point. When I last wrote, I was beginning to wire.

The pic below is looking from the top-down to the floor – some 11’ down.

On the left is the remote / relay box. This next pic if looking up.

If you were to see the rest of my shop, you would laugh at the furnace filters. I haven’t used a dust collector since I sold my Jet a year ago; so keeping whatever dust the Clear Vue would release into the shop wouldn’t make a real difference.

I purchased the can from McMaster-Carr and followed the suggestions from several other Clear Vue owners by putting some wheels on it. The clean-out box that supports the filters can be emptied from the bottom. Perhaps some day I will make a pull-out, but for now, this will work.

It was the piping that took quite a while – not only to assemble, but to plan out. Of course, I was looking for the best way to run the 6” S-D pipe, but I was focusing on only two places: the table saw and the planer / molding machine.

But once up there, I started to think about the Blum and how lonely it was not being connected to the other machines in the shop. Notice, I did not tape several joints – my panel saw started to complain – guess I’ll have to run a line in that direction too!

Although this will not show up on the Emmy Awards, here is a short video of the Clear Vue in action.

BTW – all of this was NEEDED. Not only for my lungs, but I need to build some kitchen cabinets. Just to let you know – this dust collector will remove paint, chrome, and probably whole pieces of buildings. This thing is incredibly powerful.

-- I've never seen a tree that I wouldn't like to repurpose into a project. I love the smell of wood in the morning - it smells like victory.

Great job! I’ve been upgrading my dust collection also but not to the standards of a Clearview. Now all those DC runs are in the way of getting that drywall up..lol

Edit:Ok…I just noticed your post of mounting the motor was 507 days ago….......................................................................................................................................................................................................................How could you wait so long to get it fired up…new toys need to operational as fast as possible. ;^)

-- Gary; Marysville, MI...Involve your children in your projects as much as possible, the return is priceless.

Thanks guys. I’m glad to finally have a dust collector that is stationary and powerful. Steve – this is the first winter with heat. I really haven’t noticed much of a change in my bills. I keep it at 45 when I’m not there, then turn it up to about 50 when I’m in the shop. Not being used to heat, I can work in a short sleeve shirt at 50 and be comfortable. I’ll keep you posted on the cost once the season is over.

Gary, it’s a long story. I didn’t believe it when you posted 507 – but you’re right! The problem – too much to do and not enough time. Everyone has a job for me, and of course, family comes first. Also, although there was the “new toy” feeling, my motivation was lacking. Most of my remodeling jobs didn’t involve much woodworking, but the one I’m working on now requires a full kitchen. Thus – this was a NEED. All that being said, I was cuttin the rug and singing all day as I was hooking up the machines. Heck, I almost wet my pants.

Chris – that is exactly what I kept saying to myself for many years. I never thought it would happen, but I finally bit the bullet and bought one. After reading so much about the negative effects of saw dust, I decided I better get something that really works. I’m glad I finally did.

-- I've never seen a tree that I wouldn't like to repurpose into a project. I love the smell of wood in the morning - it smells like victory.

I am jealous, bought my Clearvue about 6 months ago and 1 month ago finally got it together and hung and wired it. Now waiting for money for ducts and warmer weather. From the video it doesn’t seem to loud, what do you think? Enjoy that bad boy.

Clay – it was loud, but I need to put a door on the enclosure. After that, it should be ok. I did learn a few things, though, and I’ll probably write another blog about my discoveries. The key to having a successful installation – whatever you think you might POSSIBLY EVER need or want – prepare beforehand. Making alterations after the fact can be a real pain.

I really wanted to run metal spiral ductwork, but at double the cost of S-D pipe, I decided against it. For now, this will have to work. Perhaps one day I’ll have enough disposable income to install metal.

-- I've never seen a tree that I wouldn't like to repurpose into a project. I love the smell of wood in the morning - it smells like victory.

The positng of this video could not have come at a better time for me. I have just started my journey into serious dust collection. While it does not compare to such powerful collectors as the Clear Vue, my recently purchased HF 2HP dust collector is a far cry from the shop vac system I was using. I would eventually like to make the system you have, in due time.

pmayer – no shocks. I would switch over only for durability. I’m rather dangerous around plastic, and tend to accidentally hit things when I’m not paying close attention to where things are located. Every time I pick up a 12’ length of wood, I’m fearful to hitting the ducting or light bulbs. If it were metal, I wouldn’t be so cautious.

-- I've never seen a tree that I wouldn't like to repurpose into a project. I love the smell of wood in the morning - it smells like victory.

Interesting. I do not have experience with metal ducting but it surprises me that it is more durable than 6” PVC. I can’t imagine damaging 6” PVC by bumping into it with a board. Do you use sheet metal screws at your seams to hold them together? I could see the pipe decoupling at a joint if it is jarred while not secured. When I have forgotten to secure a joint I have seen them decouple over time.

I like the paint job on your system, btw. I wish I would have done the same before I installed but I was just too anxious to get it up and running. Looks great.

pmayer – Initially I thought of screwing the pipe together, however, the tape holds them very secure. What I also like about the HVAC aluminum tape is that it stops air from getting in. Thanks for the word on the paint job. Next is the ducting and shop.

-- I've never seen a tree that I wouldn't like to repurpose into a project. I love the smell of wood in the morning - it smells like victory.